


Poolside

by QueenOfNewOrleans22



Category: Guns N' Roses
Genre: Fluff, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:07:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26584135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfNewOrleans22/pseuds/QueenOfNewOrleans22
Summary: It was a nice night out.
Relationships: Duff McKagan/Slash
Kudos: 14





	Poolside

Duff couldn't sleep. 

Perhaps it was because of the frigid, bitter cold, amplified by the thin blankets. 

Maybe it was because of the unfamiliar surroundings, just another hotel instead of an apartment. 

Or maybe it was because the bed was empty. 

Duff liked having somebody to cuddle with at night, as stupid and weird as it was for a rockstar to admit such a thing. The bed felt empty and cold without another person to fill in that other side, and Duff frowned, feeling stupid, silly, like a little kid, but he couldn't help the part of his subconscious that was unable to shut down without somebody to hold close. 

He sighed, and slipped into his boots, aware of how weird he looked in nothing but a pair of boxers and a robe, but couldn't bring himself to care. It wasn't like anybody would see him, anyways. 

The hotel room was on the top floor, and Duff had take the stairs once it became painfully clear that the elevator wasn't going to be working and it was a fruitless endeavor to wait for it. It took much longer than it should've, and by the time Duff managed to get to the first floor, the chill had faded into a dull warmth, which was nothing to complain about, really. 

Duff didn't even know why he didn't just grab a pillow and pretend that it was a body beside his own, but, at the same time, he knew it wouldn't have been the same. Nothing could compare to the warmth of another person beside him, a hand to hold. Duff knew he was being ridiculous about the whole thing, that it wasn't really important but- 

Well, Duff had found that he couldn't sleep if Slash wasn't in the same bed with him, which was a real problem, because they couldn't always sleep in the same room together. 

Slash was sitting by the pool, head tilted up toward the pale moon, his hair swaying slightly in the breeze. There was something oddly peaceful about the sight, a calming effect, that made Duff's frown turn into a smile, and he stood there, just looking at Slash, for a long moment, enjoying the look of pure content on his lover's face. But then Duff gathered his thoughts, and stepped forward into the night. 

Almost as if he could hear the faint sound of boots on concrete, Slash turned around, and smiled. "Hey, Duffy." Slash said, patting the spot next to him in invitation. 

Duff smiled back, and walked foward, slipping off his boots, sitting down, slowly slipping his feet into the pool. The water wasn't as cold as Duff had expected it to be- instead, it was a nice, lukewarm feeling that was almost enveloping. "What are you doing out here?" Duff asked, fingers brushing against the back of Slash's hand, eager for the feather light touch. 

Slash shrugged. "Couldn't sleep." He replied after a short moment of silence. "There's too much - chaos." Slash motioned around his head with a frown. 

Unfortunately, Duff knew what Slash was talking about all too well, and he was sympathetuc to the plight. "Sorry, babe." Duff said, rubbing Slash's back and pressing a kiss to familiar curly hair. "I woke up, and you weren't there." 

With a soft laugh, Slash tilted his head up, and grinned at Duff humorously. "Aw, you missed me." He said teasingly. 

Duff moved his arm so that it was tossed around Slash's shoulders, pulling him close, whether it be for warmth, or just a desire to feel the skin against his own. There was a comfort in being able to talk about nothing and everything at the same time, about worry and struggles seeping away. 

"I was thinking about the band." Slash said softly, the stars reflecting in his dark eyes. "How the fuck are we going to manage a band? We can barely figure out ourselves." He grumbled. 

"Well..." Duff trailed off, thinking about what Slash was implicating - 

The drugs, the alcohol, the pure irresponsibility. 

"We're sober now, babe. We've got good heads on our shoulders, all that good stuff." Duff said with a clear confidence that came almost naturally. 

After so many close calls, neither of them could take it anymore. 

Slash sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Sorry, I feel like I'm going crazy." He looked back at the hotel, and then a mischievous little smile appeared on his lips. "You wanna go back up?" He offered. 

Duff looked back at the hotel, then down at the pool, considering the offer. 

It was a nice night out. 

"Nah." Duff said, shaking his head and pulling Slash closer. "Let's stay here." 


End file.
